Zechariah 5
Vision of the Flying scroll verse 1- 2
Then I turned – and lifted up mine eyes – and looked
and behold a flying roll
and he said unto me – What see you?
AND I answered – I see a flying roll
the length thereof is twenty cubits
the breadth thereof ten cubits
Flying scroll summaries Ten Commandments verse 3- 4
THEN said he to me
This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the
whole earth [land = Palestine]
FOR every one that steals [sin against man]
shall be cut off as on this side [second tablet]
according to it
And every one that swears [sin against God]
shall be cut off as on that side [ first tablet]
according to it
I will bring it forth – says the LORD of hosts
and it shall enter into the house of the thief
and into the house of him
that swears falsely by MY name
and it shall remain in the midst of his house
and shall consume it with the timber thereof
and the stones thereof
Vision of Basket with woman inside verse 5- 6
THEN the angel that talked with me went forth and
said to me
Lift up now your eyes and see what is this that goes forth
AND I said What is it?
AND he said This is an ephah [basket] that goes forth
He said moreover
This is their resemblance [iniquity] through all the earth
Basket with woman named Wickedness verse 7- 8
AND behold – there was lifted up a talent of lead
AND this is a woman that sits in the midst of the ephah
AND he said – This is wickedness
AND he cast it into the midst of the ephah
and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof
Basket carried by two women to Babylon verse 9- 11
THEN lifted I up mine eyes – and looked – and behold
there came out two women – and the wind was in their wings
FOR they had wings like the wings of a stork
and they lifted up the ephah
between the earth and the heaven
THEN said I to the angel that talked with me
Whither do these bear the ephah?
AND he said to me
To build it an house [heathen temple]
in the land of Shinar [Babylon]
and it shall be established
and set there upon her own base
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. (7650 “sweareth” [shaba] means adjure, take an oath, or to curse.)
DEVOTION: Zechariah had two visions in this chapter.
The first one was of a flying roll that was about 15x 30 feet. It was written on both sides. It held the accusations against Israel. The two sins that are representative of the Ten Commandments are producing a curse over the land of Israel. The one is stealing which is on the second tablet of the Law which deals with sins against fellow man. The swearing was taking the name of the LORD in vain which was on the first tablet of the Law which deals with sins against God.
The rolling scroll that was flying was open for all to see why the land was cursed. The children of Israel had broken all the laws of the LORD. It was time for them to pay the price. The price was captivity. The place of captivity was Babylon.
The second vision was of a basket that contained a woman called Wickedness. The ephah was the largest container in that day. The ephah was covered with a lead lid and taken to the land of Babylon. It represented all the sins in the Israel. It showed that the sins were under a cover. The LORD only permits sin to go so far. HE is in control of what is allowed on the earth. The two women who carried the basket with the woman to Babylon were thought to be Assyria and Babylon.
The prophet had to realize that the LORD was revealing to him a future judgment because of sin in the land of Israel. Babylon was the nation that is mentioned in the book of Revelation as the seat of false religion.
We know that Babylon is judged in the book of Revelation. Our responsibility until then is to show the world what the LORD wants HIS people to look like.
Christians are individuals who realize that the Ten Commandments show them that they are sinners in need of a Savior. Christians are forgiven sinners. We need to confess our sins on a daily basis. It is only on the basis of the LORD’S mercy that we can enter eternity with HIM. Share the message!!!
CHALLENGE: Our language can give away where we stand with the LORD. Using HIS name in vain is still against the Ten Commandments. Christians need to watch their tongue.
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: 4 I will bring it forth, says the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by MY name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. (8267 “swears falsely” [sheqer] means wrongfully, deceitful, liar, breach of faith, causing someone to believe an untruth, or fraudulently.)
DEVOTION: The LORD gave Moses the Ten Commandment in the desert before they were cursed to wander for forty years. They were given for them to understand what the LORD expected of those who followed HIM.
Here we have two commandments mentioned which represent the rest of the commandments.
The first commandment mentioned was on the second tablet that Moses received. It dealt with stealing from others. We can steal little things or big things. In God’s sight it is all stealing. Sometimes we can steal a person’s reputation by gossiping about him/her. God calls all stealing sin.
The second commandment mentioned is using the LORD’S name in vain. We are hearing this more and more on television. If we go to a movie they think nothing of using HIS name in vain. Sometimes even Christians listen to this type of language and start using it to appear to be “cool” in the minds of their friends. This is always wrong. Using the LORD’S name in vain is always a sin.
CHALLENGE: Watch what you say with your mouth. You have to answer to the LORD for every word that comes out of your mouth. Don’t say anything that is a lie regarding your relationship to the LORD or HIS relationship to you.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up now your eyes, and see what is that that goes forth. (5869 “Lift up” [‘ayin’] means sight, appearance, understanding, outward appearance, or in one’s view or opinion.)
DEVOTION: What are we doing with our eyes? We have physical eyes and spiritual eyes. Our physical eyes see what is going on around us every day. Our spiritual eyes need to be trained to see what is going on around us spiritually each day.
The angel is asking the prophet what message the LORD is trying to give him to share with the children of Israel. The LORD wants us to use our spiritual eyes to see what is going on around us to share God’s truth with those we minister to on a regular basis.
We can watch something on television and see what is behind the plot of the program. Most of them are teaching something the director is trying to get across to us behind the scenes and language. If we ask the LORD for discernment regarding the message of the program we are watching HE will give it to us. Every program has an agenda besides entertainment.
CHALLENGE: We are being de-sensitized to sin on a regular basis by what we watch and hear. Our spiritual eyes need to be constantly watching for the message of evil or good.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 8 And he said, This is wickedness, and he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. (7564 “wickedness” [rish‘ah] means unrighteousness, fraud, falsehood, or guilt.)
DEVOTION: The Hebrew word for wickedness is feminine. That is way evil is personified as a woman.
There is an example of a woman in a basket who is wicked. This woman is carried in a basket by two women with wings to the land of Shinar.
This woman who is wicked is carried to Babylon where evil is going to come from in the future. The angel is instructing Zechariah of what is going to happen in the future. There is going to be a carrying away of the children of Israel to Babylon. This will also carry all the iniquity of Israel into Babylon.
With the removal of evil from the land of Israel the stage is set for the return of the LORD Jesus Christ. Babylon is going to be defeated by the LORD before HE establishes the Millennial Kingdom.
Idolatry will be around throughout the history of mankind. All humans have a desire to worship something or someone. Each nation had their own false gods in the Old Testament. They thought that their false gods gave them blessings. This was wrong.
God is the one and only true God that blesses both the just and the unjust with rain for their crops and with good weather. HE allows those who reject HIM to see HIS good works, so that, they can understand their false gods really don’t give them anything.
We have false gods even here in America. Our false gods can be money, sports, possession and even religious activity. One day these false gods will be removed and only the one true God will reign supreme.
CHALLENGE: We need to understand that evil is all around us on a daily basis. With the LORD’S help we can resist evil and do well in the name of the LORD. Our good bring glory to the LORD.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 4
LORD of hosts verse 4
MY name verse 4
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angel that talked with Zechariah verse 2, 5, 10
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Land of Shinar verse 11
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Curse verse 3
Steal verse 3
Swear falsely verse 3, 4
Thief verse 4
Resemblance verse 6
Wickedness verse 8
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Vision from LORD – flying roll verse 1
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
4 The pronoun “it” refers to the curse (v.3). There can be no hiding, no escape, from the judgment of that curse. God’s word, whether promise or threat (as here), is efficacious (cf. Isa 55:10–11 and comments at 1:1, and at 6). “It” will enter and destroy the homes of the guilty. Even the privacy of their homes will afford them no refuge from divine judgment (cf. Num 32:23). The word “thief” recalls Exodus 20:15, and “him who swears falsely by my name” is a clear echo of Exodus 20:7—though both commandments are broader than the infractions singled out here. On “it will remain” Pusey (2:366) comments that it is “lit., ‘lodge for the night,’ until it has accomplished that for which it was sent, its utter destruction.” To judge from the materials used in the houses (cf. Hag 1:3–9), it was primarily the wealthy and those in power who were guilty of committing these sins. (Barker, K. L. (1986). Zechariah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 633). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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8. This is Wickedness (Heb. rišʾâ), a comprehensive word, often used as the antithesis of righteousness (Prov. 11:5; 13:6; Ezek. 18:20; 33:12), and including civil, ethical and religious evil. Because the Hebrew word is feminine, wickedness is personified as a woman. She attempts to escape from captivity, but the angel with superior strength is able to confine her to the ephah, though the verbs indicate a struggle involved. The power of evil was to be taken seriously. (Baldwin, J. G. (1972). Vol. 28: Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (137). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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“Wickedness”—a general word denoting moral, religious, and civil evil—is frequently used as an antonym of righteousness (e.g., Prov 13:6; Ezek 33:12). The woman (wickedness) “attempts to escape from captivity, but the angel with superior strength is able to confine her to the ephah, though the verbs indicate a struggle involved. (Barker, K. L. (1986). Zechariah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 7: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (634). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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the ephah of wickedness to the country of Babylonia (lit., Shinar), the recent place of Israel’s Exile but also the site of ancient and future idolatry and rebellion against God (Gen. 11:2; Rev. 17:3–5). This lends support to the view that the city of Babylon on the Euphrates River will be rebuilt (cf. comments on Rev. 17–18). Unger identifies these women with demonic forces that seek to protect the woman of wickedness and enshrine her for worship in Babylon (Zechariah, p. 98). Others see them as agents of divine power or providence.
Israel’s corporate sin, associated with idolatry, will be removed from her land. The phrases in Zechariah 5:11—to build a house for it, and be set there in its place (i.e., on an idol pedestal)—suggest that the ephah of wickedness will be erected in a temple as an idol. Such idols of Babylon were powerlessness personified, as indicated in Isaiah’s many idol satires (Isa. 44:9–20; 46:1–2; etc.). Returning the wickedness of idolatry to its place of origin in Babylon apparently will set the stage for final judgment on Babylon (Rev. 17–18). Its removal from Israel will prepare the way for Christ’s second coming and millennial kingdom (Rev. 19–20). (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Zechariah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1557). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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5:11 Shinar. The destination of the women bearing the basket was Shinar, an older word designating Babylon (cf. Ge 10:10). The older word is used possibly to recall the Tower of Babel as a symbol of opposition against God (cf. Ge 11:2). There it will be placed in a “temple” and set on a base or pedestal as an idol. Again the vision is unmistakably looking forward to the final Babylon of Rev 17, 18 at the second coming of Christ (cf. Mal 4:1–3). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Zec 5:11). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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FROM MY READING:
Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
Once we think we are strong, we will soon find ourselves weak. King Uzziah “was marvelously helped till he became strong” (2 Chron. 26: 15). Paul had it right when he wrote, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12: 10). When we put our trust in God, it is HIS mighty arm that enables us to do HIS will. (p. 86)
Our salvation wasn’t achieved by sacrificing animals or by doing good works. It was the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection that purchased our salvation. (p. 87)
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Zephaniah 3
Beyond impending judgment there is joy.
INSIGHT
Blue blood flows through Zephaniah’s veins. He is the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah and one of the most righteous of all kings. The flame for revival and religious reform burns as hot in Zephaniah’s heart as it did in his forefathers’. Zephaniah’s book has been called one of the “hottest” books in the Old Testament. He portrays “the final crash of the universe.” The impending Day of the Lord is his all-encompassing message. Twenty-three times in this short book he refers specifically to the day that signifies the final judgment of God on the earth. Following the time of terrible judgment is the time of restoration and peace. Beyond judgment there is joy. (Quiet Walk)
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THE PROTOEVANGEL
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15
What does God tell us in Genesis 3:15? Well, first of all that He was going to put enmity between the serpent and the woman and her seed. Hitherto there had been no enmity between them; but the serpent had beguiled Eve, so they were very friendly together, and the woman was now under the dominion of the devil. Had God not done something, that would have been the end of the story. But God came in and said, “Now I am going to break that friendship, you were meant for friendship with Me, not with the devil. So I am going to put enmity between you and the devil, and between the devil and you.” This was the first announcement of salvation. Man cannot be saved while he is a friend of the devil and an enemy of God. He must be a friend of God; therefore, he must become an enemy of the devil.
The second thing, therefore, that is implied is that God was going to give man power and grace to fight the devil. Man had already been defeated by him and was his slave. Man must have help and strength, and God promised him that. God promised to be on man’s side in this fight against the enemy. He applied the promise also to the “seed”–“between thy seed and her seed.” That is most important. It was not a temporary promise given there in Eden; it was to continue until it had achieved its ultimate purpose.
You notice also that God said that the quarrel was to go on not only between the woman and her seed and the devil, but also between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. So humanity can be divided into the seed of God and of Christ and the seed of the devil, and there is a fight between them–all announced in Genesis 3:15.
A Thought to Ponder: Man cannot be saved while he is a friend of the devil. (From God the Father, God the Son pp. 228-229, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Temptation’s Threefold Nature
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6)
Satan was so successful with his first temptation when he persuaded Adam and Eve to rebel against God’s Word in the Garden of Eden that he has been using the same technique ever since. By this threefold temptation, he appeals to the body, soul, and spirit. He first appeals to whatever fleshly appetites a person may have (“good for food”), then to his emotional responses (“pleasant to the eyes”), and finally to his spiritual pride (“make one wise”).
John later would call these desires “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). James identifies them as “earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:15).
Satan even brought the same three temptations to bear on Christ Himself in the wilderness: “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matthew 4:3). That is, “satisfy your physical hunger.” “Cast thyself down” from the pinnacle of the temple, thus enjoying the exhilarating feeling of being borne up by angels (Matthew 4:5-6). “All these things I will give thee” without your going to the cross, Satan taunted (Matthew 4:9).
Christ, however, stood the test, in each case citing an appropriate verse of Scripture to gain the victory. Now, when we are tempted, we can draw on His strength and follow His example. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12). God “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk exults in the God of his salvation.
INSIGHT
Habakkuk wrestles with God concerning the sinfulness of his fellow Jews: “Why does God not do something? Why does God not judge His people?” As Habakkuk puts these questions to Him, the Lord responds that He is doing something: He is raising up the Chaldeans to come and conquer Judah. Astounded by this revelation, Habakkuk cries out, “How can you use a nation that is more sinful than Judah to conquer it?” God’s answer? God’s people deserve judgment. The righteousness of the instrument of judgment is inconsequential. And as far as Habakkuk is concerned, “the just shall live by his faith” (2:4). Habakkuk responds in faith that, even if disaster strikes, he will rejoice because God is his strength.
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THE COVENANT OF GRACE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel .Genesis 3:15
What are the ways in which the covenant of grace was dispensed under the old dispensation? Well, you go first of all to Genesis 3:15. If you are interested in the technical term, it is generally called the protoevangel. In other words, there is a kind of foreshadowing of the whole gospel in Genesis 3:15.
Now to me this is one of the most fascinating and thrilling things anyone can ever encounter. Here is this great book; we divide it up, and we call it the Old Testament and the New Testament, and we all know what we mean by that. But, you know, if we were to be strictly accurate we would not describe it in that way. The real division of the Bible is this: first, everything you get from Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 3:14; then everything from Genesis 3:15 to the very end of the Bible. Beginning with Genesis 3:15 you get the announcement of the gospel, the covenant of grace, the way of salvation, and that is the whole theme of the Bible until you come to the last verse of the book of Revelation. That is the real division of the Bible.
But, of course, we talk about the Old Testament and the New Testament because we want to emphasize the two main ways in which this one great covenant of grace has been administered, and here it is beginning in Genesis 3:15. Now the whole of the gospel is in that verse. It is there in this almost cryptic form, in this very underdeveloped form, but it is there.
A Thought to Ponder
There is a kind of foreshadowing of the whole gospel in Genesis 3:15. (From God the Father, God the Son, p. 228, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Whosoever Will May Come
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:32)
“God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). Yet in the above “whosoever” passage of the Old Testament, it is clear that those who “call on the name of the LORD” were the same as “the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” Those who call on the Lord have first been called bythe Lord. He accepts all those who call on Him from every nation, but no doubt their geographical location to a large extent determines whether they will even hear of Him, and “how then shall they call on him . . . of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14).
Theologians of great intellect have wrestled with these questions for centuries without resolving them, at least to the satisfaction of those of different mental persuasion. On the practical level, however, the Holy Spirit led Peter to quote this passage in his great sermon on the Day of Pentecost: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).
Peter was speaking only to Jews, but they had assembled at Jerusalem “out of every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). Then Paul made it forever plain that “whosoever” applied to everyone when he also quoted Joel. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:12-13). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, on the very last page of Scripture, says: “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). So, whosoever will may come! One can contemplate later, with deep thanksgiving, the mysteries of the divine call, but first he must come, and if he so wills, he may! (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Wife copies this quote: Happiness keeps you Sweet. Trials keep you Strong. Sorrows keep you Human. Failures keep you humble. And God, keeps you going. (The Christian Conservative)
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Modern religion focuses upon filling churches with people. The true gospel emphasizes filling people with God – A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)
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DAILY HOPE
Today’s Scripture
Exodus 28-29
“Clothes make the person”, is a cliché that is not always true anymore. I was speaking to an executive in a large business who stated that he would not hire a person who came to an interview with unpolished shoes. An associate Pastor once stated that he would check my suit pockets and tie before we went to the platform to ensure they looked appropriate. Everything speaks to an audience.
Exodus 28 instructs Moses specifically how the priest’s garments were to be fashioned for service. Gifted artisans, filled with the Spirit, were to make the articles for the priests to do their duties before the Lord. The expensive garments were intricately prepared so Aaron and his sons could fully represent the tribes of Israel.
Skilled mason workers carved the names of the tribes into two stones and placed one on each shoulder of the priest. This signified his responsibility of bringing the personal and national sins before the Lord. Precious stones engraved with the names of the tribes were to be sewn into the breastplate worn by the high priest over his heart as a memorial of the tribes. Each time Aaron entered the Holy place he carried the nation of Israel with him.
After all the garments were completed, Aaron and his sons were then brought before the Lord. Sacrifices of animals and cleansing by water was done for them so they could be set apart to minister in the tabernacle. They were sprinkled with blood from the sacrifices so they would be covered and have atonement in God’s presence. Each day the priest was to serve the Lord and to present offerings to Him on behalf of the people.
Today, believers are daily to be set apart to the Lord, not to offer sacrifices, but to give to Him our prayers and worship. Each day we are called to represent God to an unsaved world with our time, gifts, and talents. Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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